It took me a long time to get truly fit.
Even though I could lift over 500 pounds and had my dream body, I faced some big issues:
I had trouble focusing
I was always stressed
I got tired before 10 am
I felt bloated all the time
I struggled to get out of bed, even after 8 hours of sleep.
Through that, I didn’t just feel unwell.
This made me not only uncomfortable but also hurt my productivity which I needed for my business.
The cause?
7 habits that might seem innocent, but actually wreck your fitness.
And I bet you’re doing at least 3 out of those 7 habits regularly.
If you're an entrepreneur wanting an easy way to boost your fitness and maximize productivity, act against them.
In this newsletter, you’ll learn:
The key to high-quality sleep
How to beat morning fatigue
A mistake that leads to overeating
How to best use coffee for peak productivity
The top strategy for more energy and less daily stress
Let’s dive into what those habits are and what to do instead.
1) Starting your day with coffee
Are you hitting a wall of fatigue before 10 am?
One of the main reasons for that is using caffeine the wrong way.
You might say " I need my early coffee to wake up!"
But what if the very solution you're reaching for is causing the problem?
Early caffeine messes with your body’s natural wake-up process.
As a result, you’ll hit an energy crash early in the day.
Think of those mornings when you have a huge presentation at 9 am.
You drink your coffee at 7 am, and by the time you're presenting, you're already exhausted.
Instead, start your day with water and hold back with caffeine for a bit - ideally 90 minutes after waking up - and take it with L-Theanine.
That way, you’ll have lasting energy to power through those morning meetings and knock your work out early in the day.
2) Overcommitting
As entrepreneurs, we tend to always want to do more - and I myself am surely guilty of that.
While it comes from good intentions, it can ruin your business, and it’s also a huge obstacle when you try to get in shape.
It’s best seen with new-year’s resolutions (which will become relevant again soon):
Many people try to go from one extreme - Christmas food, alcohol, no movement - to another:
Working out six times per week, a Keto diet and doing daily cardio.
This won’t work because you’re overloading your plate and as a result, it’s going to break.
You're probably familiar with the 80/20 principle, right?
Well, if you're working 60 plus hours on your business each week, turn that into a 90/10 principle.
Pick out the three habits that are going to have the biggest effect and commit to those.
If those get natural you can add more.
You’ll get consistent wins, without the burnout.
3) Irregular bedtime
One of my biggest challenges was always feeling tired in the morning, even if I got eight or even nine hours of sleep.
Looking back, the main reason was my irregular sleep cycle.
Since school, I was in the habit of getting up at six in the morning during the week, but staying up late on the weekends.
Inconsistent sleep cycles greatly harm sleep quality.
That's especially problematic if you get less than 6 hours of sleep regularly.
It's like putting your body through a regular jetlag and if you ever traveled for multiple time zones, you know how that you can feel the next day.
Aim to be in bed around the same time every day.
You’ll be rewarded with a sharper mind to knock your work out quickly - no coffee needed!
4) Overeating on the weekends
This is a common problem for people who try to adhere to strict diets:
Eating chicken and broccoli throughout the week, and then overindulging in junk food over the weekend.
The weekend is 28% of your time - neglecting it is like neglecting an entire quarter of your business year.
It won’t work.
Does that mean you can’t have a restaurant visit with your family, a drink with friends or a cake at your kids birthday party?
Of course not.
Just make sure to plan ahead for those days and be intentional to not overeat.
Ideally, you consider it ahead and put it into the plan for your week.
Also don’t push yourself too strictly on a diet or you’ll have more cravings for indulging.
That way, you get to enjoy that slice of cake and keep your fitness goals on track, without feeling guilty for falling off track or overeating.
Click HERE to read a full article on healthy enjoyment.
5) Eating in front of screens
Feeling unsatisfied and bloated, even after your favorite meal?
The habit of eating before screens plays a major role in this issue.
Most of us are so busy that we eat our food while sitting in front of the screen, finishing up work, checking emails or watching videos to relax.
The problem is that that way of mindless eating leads you to eat faster and chew less.
You also won’t be able to enjoy your food as much.
As a result, you’ll feel less satiated after a meal, have more food cravings and be less satisfied with food.
Mindful and slow eating is one of the most underrated habits for effective weight-loss.
You’ll feel happier, more fulfilled and even improve your gut health:
Chewing food more thoroughly breaks it down into smaller particles, making it easier for the digestive system to process.
6) “Zero days”
I used to live in extremes:
Sitting on my ass from morning to evening, then going all-out with heavy Squats and Deadlifts.
On days where I didn’t hit the gym, I’d often not move at all, getting as little as 2000 steps.
And it was not doing me any good (the problem weren’t Squats and Deadlifts):
Do you have those days where you just feel sluggish and down?
Zero-days - days without any movement - are a major cause for that.
And no, you don’t have to go to the gym every day.
What I’m saying is to aim for some movement every day.
The easiest way to do that is to plan a short walk every day - even if it’s just 15 minutes.
Regular walking helps you
Live longer
Be happier
Think clearer
Reduce stress
Boost creativity
Improve your sleep
Benefits you surely want if you want to max out your productivity.
Read THIS article for more ways to boost your fitness, without committing extra time to working out.
7) Multitasking
We're all obsessed with productivity.
And while the idea of knocking out five different tasks at once sounds appealing, multitasking is a dangerous myth.
It's shown to destroy productivity by disrupting flow states and decreasing attention spans.
Remember Steve Jobs?
He was known for his intense focus and ability to immerse himself in one task or project at a time.
That focus was a major factor behind Apple's innovative breakthroughs.
The human brain is not designed to do different tasks simultaneously.
If you think you’re “multitasking”, what you’re actually doing is to switch between tasks on a consistent basis.
Every time you do that, you lose focus - this is also called “attention residue”:
Your brain wants to complete the task beforehand.
And it can take as long as 20 minutes for your brain to fully adjust to the new task!
As a result, you’ll take longer to finish your work and it’ll be of lower quality.
On top of that your stress is going to skyrocket, which messes up your fitness goals:
Poor sleep, draining your energy
More cravings for pizza and chocolate
Less motivation to work out or cook healthy meals
Single-task to skyrocket your productivity with less stress - for more success in business and fitness.
Summary:
Understand that small and seemingly innocent tablets can have a huge impact on your fitness.
This is especially true if you let them add up.
Make it a goal to reduce those seven habits:
Singletask
Eat mindfully
Move every day
Go to bed at the same time
Start your day with water and delay caffeine
Avoid extreme diets and plan for the weekend ahead
Focus on the 10% of tasks that have the highest leverage
If you want to learn more about how to get in your best shape ever within two hours per week, click the link and hop on a free 1:1 strategy call with me.